JPH0226950B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

A desirable high goal in the food processing industry is to use nutritious yet inexpensive materials in the process of obtaining the products that customers desire. Special efforts are being directed to the production of meat-simulating products from vegetable and/or animal proteins. These meat-simulating products are sometimes referred to as meat analogs. Meat analogs are edible products manufactured to resemble edible meat materials such as chicken, beef, pork or seafood. One of the primary methods of producing meat analogs is by thermoplastic extrusion, adapted from techniques used in the plastics industry. Extrusion methods are also used to produce readily edible grain foods. The thermoplastic extrusion process consists of preparing a mixture of protein, water, flavor, and other minor ingredients, which is then fed to a Kutzker extruder that provides heat, pressure, and extrusion pressure. The extrudate expands as it enters the atmosphere. The extrudate structure has characteristics of meat-like fibers. The heating and shearing during the extruder, combined with the rapid change from a superatmospheric environment to atmospheric pressure upon exit from the extruder, are responsible for creating the appearance of the fibers. The following patents describe the use of thermoplastic extrusion technology to produce fibrous meat analogs: U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,823 (Young et al.) describes the production of a cohesive dough that is non-turbulently stretched and drawn in a Kutzker extruder to provide parallel, unidirectional fibers. uses synthetic proteins. No. 3,886,299 (Feldflage et al.), fibers are stretched, drawn, and heat set in an extruder to form a dense, meat-like fiber structure that is recovered from the extruder in a manner that minimizes rapid expansion of the fibers. Heat-coagulable animal or vegetable proteins containing a minimum percentage of undenatured protein are used to form dough. Typically, some highly desirable protein materials, such as egg albumin, are avoided in the above extrusion process due to high fouling and clogging problems, especially when using single screw extruders. It is believed that prior to the present invention, only limited sources of protein were used in auger extrusion processes, as the prior art does not address the operational problems encountered when extruding cohesive and cohesive proteins. There are further inherent problems in producing meat analogs from limited protein sources. For example, when using a vegetable protein material such as soybean, it is necessary to produce a protein concentrate from the vegetable protein source material prior to assembling the vegetable protein. Also, vegetable protein materials may not have a desirable amino acid balance or nutritionally desirable qualities. In this case, it is necessary to add other protein materials or amino acids to provide the desired nutritional balance. Flavors in vegetable protein materials also sometimes create problems. For example, soy flavor remains during manufacturing. The present invention circumvents such problems by producing from a protein source that retains the flavor that can be masked or blended to provide the desired flavor in analogue extrudates. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a nutritious cohesive fibrous material suitable for shrimp analogs. The method presented herein is a novel method for incorporating nutritious thermosettable proteins into extruded fibers suitable for use in meat analogs. The extruded protein fibers of the present invention generally consist of modified proteins that are thoroughly mixed with alkali metal sulfite and starch prior to extrusion. The extrusion process involves mechanical manipulation of the denatured protein-containing material under sufficient conditions of heat and pressure to obtain aligned fibers. The alkali metal sulfite is added in a controlled amount in order to suppress the deterioration of flavor and the appearance of poor coloring. By pre-denaturing heat-coagulable proteins, the difficulties encountered when feeding sticky, cohesive and difficult-to-process proteins such as egg albumin to screw extruders can be overcome. The method forms a dry water-soluble starting material containing 30-100% thermocoagulable protein, adds water and thoroughly mixes the dissolved protein molecules to produce a protein-containing aqueous solution, and the thermocoagulable protein is Denaturing in solution to make it less viscous, non-agglomerative, and water-insoluble, dry-milling the denatured protein-containing mixture to form a free-flowing powder, and forming natural meat-like fibers. The process consists of extruding the denatured protein-containing mixture in an extruder designed for the purpose. As used herein, the term "dry protein mixture" is meant to include all dry ingredients to the exclusion of water. Dry mixtures include 100% protein or a combination of protein and other edible substances. The amounts of each of these components are hereinafter defined as weight percent of the dry mixture only. The dry, protein-containing mixture consists of 30-100% by weight thermocoagulable protein when less than 100% of the protein is thermocoagulable, and the remaining protein fraction is non-thermocoagulable protein. If the amount of thermocoagulable protein is less than 30% by weight, there will be insufficient protein to produce meat-like fibers in the next processing step. All proteins used as starting materials for the present invention must be sufficiently water soluble to allow effective mixing of the protein molecules in the aqueous medium. For example, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dry protein mixture consists of equal parts of a thermocoagulable protein such as egg albumin and a non-thermocoagulable protein such as sodium caseinate. If desired, the protein mixture can contain up to 70% non-thermocoagulable proteins. The fibrous tissue can be denatured by adjusting the ratio of thermocoagulable protein to non-thermocoagulable protein. It is believed that the molecular level mixing of non-thermocoagulable and thermocoagulable proteins results in highly beneficial changes in the binding of thermocoagulable protein molecules to other molecules during the next step. Regarding the protein source for the present invention, it must be edible if the protein is incorporated into a meat analog for human consumption. In other cases, the protein may be of animal, vegetable or unicellular origin and may be combined with other edible materials. The thermocoagulable proteins of the invention must also be able to be rendered water-insoluble by denaturation.
Examples of suitable thermocoagulable protein sources are animal proteins, typically derived from milk, eggs, poultry, meat and/or seafood, such as egg albumin, blood plasma albumin, milk whey protein. Examples of suitable plant or single-cell sources of heat-coagulable proteins are soybeans, safflower seeds, corn, fall crops, wheat, peas, sunflower seeds, cottonseed, coconuts, rapeseed, sesame seeds, foliar proteins, Single cell proteins such as yeast. Examples of suitable non-thermocoagulable proteins are casein compounds, gelatin, and the like. Although not critical to the process of the invention from the standpoint of producing meat-like fibers and preferred from the standpoint of customer satisfaction and process efficiency, the dry protein mixture contains, in addition to the majority protein, minor amounts of sulfites and starch. It can be included. The extrudate structure is modified when about 10-30% by weight (dry basis) of a starch selected from the group consisting of corn, amioca, tapioca, wheat, sago, rice, etc. is added to the dry protein mixture. One other minor component, comprising up to 2.5% by weight on a dry basis in the dry protein mixture, is metal sulfites, such as sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, and the like.
Typically, 0.1-2.5% sulfite is suitable and 0.3-2.5% based on the weight of the dry protein mixture.
0.5% is preferred. It has been observed that addition of appropriate sulfites to the sodium caseinate and egg albumin feeds removes unpleasant flavors and prevents spoilage during extrusion. For example, when sodium casein compound and egg albumin are used in a dry protein mixture, the PH value of the mixture components is maintained between 6.0 and 8.0. At high PH levels above 8.0, the extrudate has a soft, sticky texture, and at PH levels below 6.0, the composition of this same extrudate becomes a dry, hard texture. The alkali metal sulfites, in the limited amounts mentioned above, can be added to the desired range of this mixture.
Does not significantly change PH value. Broadly speaking, the composition of the dry protein mixture is generally as follows. Dry protein mixture Weight % Hot coagulable protein 30-100 Non-thermocoagulable protein 0-70 Starch 0-30 Sulfite 0-2.5 The water content of the protein mixture is adjusted after producing the dry protein mixture. The term "aqueous protein solution" is used to indicate a dry protein aqueous mixture, and the amount of water used is expressed in weight percent of the total wet mixture containing water. The aqueous protein solution produced has a water content in the range of 40-90% by weight of the aqueous solution. The limit of the water content of the aqueous protein solution exceeding 40% is not critical; the water content will be reduced in the next step to a range of 20-40%, resulting in increased drying costs. An aqueous protein solution with a water content of less than 40% by weight is undesirable because it becomes so viscous that it becomes extremely difficult to process in the denaturation step. Moreover, when the water content is below 40%, mixing of the components on a molecular weight basis is not achieved. This results in a granular product with an unsatisfactory texture. From the viewpoint of processing efficiency and optimal fiber formation, the water content of the protein aqueous solution should be adjusted before denaturation.
A range of 50-70% by weight is preferred. After forming an aqueous protein solution and thoroughly mixing the ingredients therein, the heat-coagulable proteins in the aqueous solution are denatured to become less sticky, non-agglomerated, and water-insoluble. Modification can be carried out by any suitable means.
For example, an aqueous protein solution can be contacted with a non-aqueous water-miscible solvent such as methanol, ethanol or propanol at room temperature (23°C). The amount of solvent is sufficient to produce an aqueous protein solution/solvent mixture containing 30-70% based on the total weight of water present. Alternatively, denaturation can be achieved by heating the aqueous protein solution for a short period of time, for example up to 30 minutes, for a few seconds above the thermal coagulation temperature by using heating techniques. The purpose of this treatment is to use mild conditions to convert thermocoagulable proteins to a water-insoluble state. The denaturation process is stopped when the water solubility of the protein decreases to a level at which no further reasonable changes can be obtained. Further processing is considered neither beneficial nor economical in terms of time and energy consumption as well as loss of nutritional value of the protein. Although the exact coagulation temperature will vary depending on the protein source used, we have found that the coagulation temperature for the majority of proteins suitable for use in the methods of the invention is generally below about 100°C and generally above 60°C. . For example, 15.7% by weight of thermocoagulable protein, 15.7% by weight of non-thermocoagulable protein, 63.0% by weight of water, 5.5% by weight of cornstarch and sodium sulfite.
When denaturing an aqueous protein solution containing 0.1% by weight, the solution is denatured at a temperature between 80°C and 100°C.
- Heat for about 30 minutes. After completing the modification, the resulting aqueous mixture is reduced to a suitable water content. One method of reducing moisture content is air drying at room temperature. The modification and drying steps can be carried out simultaneously by suitable equipment such as a drum dryer. If desired, the aqueous mixture containing the denatured protein is dried and comminuted into particles, typically 1 mm in diameter. If the starch and alkali metal sulfite are components of the aqueous protein solution prior to denaturation, the moisture level of the protein/sulfite mixture is adjusted to between about 20% and about 40% based on the total weight of the mixture prior to extrusion. There is a need. If the aqueous protein solution consists only of protein, starch and alkali metal sulfite are added after denaturation. The denatured protein/starch/sulfite mixture is then moisture adjusted so that the moisture level is between about 20% and about 40% based on the total weight of the mixture. With moisture adjustment, the resulting denatured protein/starch/sulfite mixture typically retains the appearance of a moist, free-flowing powder. The material is readily fed to extrusion equipment maintained at a maximum temperature of at least about 140°C to provide an extrudate with a fibrous meat-like texture. Extrusion equipment suitable for the process of the invention is typically that used in the plastics industry. These should be equipped with externally heated grooves which gradually reduce the cross-sectional area, usually by means of a compression screw, with a die at the end of the groove which produces a large pressure drop and gives an expanded product. be.
The die shape may be square parallelogram, hexagonal or any other convenient shape. However, the most common shape is circular in cross section. When using such a device, the material, the wet free-flowing powder, is gradually moved forward in a plug flow, during which it is simultaneously heated by the walls of the room to form a cohesive, aligned fibrous material, which flows into the grooves. is compressed by the decrease in depth. It was surprising and unexpected to discover that water-soluble, heat-coagulable proteins can then be modified to become water-insoluble, coagulable, and formed into cohesive protein fibers by extrusion. be. By appropriate adjustment of the composition of the mixture before extrusion, extrudates with excellent flavor, texture and color can be produced. By pre-treating heat-coagulable proteins to make them non-agglomerative, less sticky and water-insoluble, it is also possible to extrude highly fouling components that are difficult to supply in advance without clogging or fouling the extrusion equipment. Therefore, we extrude and process proteins from a wide range of sources,
It is now possible to obtain highly nutritious, cohesive, meat-like fibers for food products. The extruded fiber retains the pleasant flavor, meat-like appearance and texture properties of natural edible meat. The fibers are soaked in water, shredded into fine fiber form, and mixed with flavors, colors, etc. to prepare an edible protein product that resembles natural meat. The resulting mixture containing chopped fibers is molded and set. Setting can be carried out by heat setting the fibers themselves or by incorporating fillers into the mixture and then setting the blend. Heat-setting fillers such as egg albumin and gelling fillers such as sodium alginate are suitable for use in producing the edible protein products of the present invention. The following examples illustrate the modification of thermocoagulable proteins and the production of meat analogs according to the invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. parts and %
are expressed by weight unless otherwise specified. Example 1 Pretreatment of aqueous protein solution with alcohol Equivalent amounts of sodium caseinate (425 g) and egg white (425 g) were mixed and dissolved in 1000 ml of water. 190 standard ethyl alcohol (1000ml) was added to the casein/egg white/water solution to denature the proteins. The resulting mixture containing denatured protein was spread on a tray and air-dried at room temperature (23°C).
The dried sheet of denatured protein was ground in a mill such as a Willie mill until it had a coarse texture.
The dried and ground denatured protein was then mixed with corn starch (150 g) containing 1.0% sodium bisulfite based on the weight of water and water (320 g). The resulting protein/corn starch/sulfite aqueous mixture was transferred to a blender (eg, a Hobart blender) and thoroughly mixed to produce a homogeneous mixture. The protein/cornstarch/sulfite homogeneous mixture with a water content of 30% resembles a free-flowing powder. This wet flowable powder was transferred to a 1.8 cm barrel Brabender type extruder with a 0.6 cm diameter die opening, a length-to-diameter ratio of 20:1, and a screw compression ratio of 3:1. The injection was carried out into a funnel feeding a D.V. Brabender company. Three successive heating zones were set at approximately 100°C, 180°C and 140°C, respectively. The screw speed was set at 64 revolutions per minute (rpm) for approximately 1 minute. The resulting extruded protein product expanded upon exiting the die mouth and took on a rope-like appearance.
The fibrous extrudate exhibits a white color and retains a texture that is essentially unflavored and particularly suitable for the subsequent step of producing a meat analog as described in Example 8. Example 2 The method of Example 1 for producing fibrous extrudates of the invention, except that soy protein isolate was used in place of sodium caseinate and 2.5% sodium sulfite solution was used in place of 1.0% sodium bisulfite solution. was repeated. The extruded protein product retained texture, flavor and color satisfactory for meat analog use. Example 3-6 Thermal pretreatment of aqueous protein solutions Various heat treatments were used to denature proteins prior to the extrusion process, and Example 4-6 showed that proteins,
Example 1 for producing a product of the invention except that a heat treatment of the cornstarch and sulfite mixture was carried out.
The method was repeated. The limiting conditions are abbreviated in Table 1 below.

Table: After heat treatment in each of the above examples, the protein solution resembled a solidified non-stick card. The curd was air dried and ground in a mill as in Example 1. The product from Run 3 was mixed with corn starch (105 g) and sodium bisulfite (2 g) and then mixed in a Hobar mixer to produce a wet homogeneous flowable powder. The products of Examples 4-6 were separately air-dried, ground in a mill, and mixed in a Hobalt mixer to produce a wet, free-flowing powder. The wettable free-flowing powders obtained from each of Examples 3-6 were separately extruded as described in Example 1 to form fibrous extrudates with a texture suitable for the production of white, essentially unflavored meat analogues. produced something. Example 7 Pretreatment of aqueous protein solution using a drum dryer According to the method of Example 1, an equivalent amount of egg white (4.82 Kg)
and sodium caseinate (4.82Kg) were mixed in a Hobalt large mixer. Diameter the resulting mixture
Drum drying was performed using a Bufflots Bak double drum dryer with a 12″ drum with a total length of 18″. Drum pressure was set at 100 pounds per square inch of gauge. The rotation speed was set at 5 units (approximately 65 seconds/rotation). A well-mixed viscous protein mixture was added to the space above the convergence line of the drum. Two wooden dams were placed along the edges of the drum to enclose the feedstock space and help surround the feedstock. The resulting material was a mixture of sheet and flake denatured proteins with a moisture content of approximately 18%. The powdered, denatured protein was then mixed with 15% amioca starch, 0.3% sodium sulfite (solids basis) and water and further processed as described in Example 1. A white, essentially unflavored fibrous extrudate was obtained. The above method produced enough to feed a 2 1/2" Prodex extruder (manufactured by HPM, Mount Gaired, Ohio). EXAMPLE 8 Preparation of Shrimp Analogues The palatable fibrous protein was soaked in water, shredded into fine fibers, and mixed with flavoring agents, colorants, etc. The resulting mixture containing the shredded fibers was molded in shrimp-shaped molds. ,
A shrimp analogue with a good texture was produced by heat setting at 100°C for 10 minutes.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 (a) about 30% by weight of heat-coagulable protein - about
(b) preparing an aqueous solution of the protein material having from about 10% to about 60% by weight of solids containing 100% by weight and from about 40% to about 90% by weight of water; (b) the solution produced in step (a); (c) mixing starch and an alkali metal sulfite with the protein-containing material of step (a) or (b); d) Adjust the moisture level of the protein/starch/sulfite mixture to approximately 20-20% based on the total weight of the mixture.
(e) extruding the aqueous mixture of step (d) in an extractor having a maximum temperature of at least about 140°C to provide a cohesive extrudate having a fibrous texture; Method for producing protein tissue fibers. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the protein material comprises thermo-coagulable and non-thermo-coagulable protein materials. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the heat-coagulable protein is selected from the group consisting of egg albumin, serum albumin, and milk whey protein. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the heat-coagulable protein is egg albumin. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the protein material comprises egg albumin and sodium caseinate. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of starch used in step (c) is from about 10% to about 30% of the total mixture weight on a dry basis. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the starch is selected from the group consisting of corn, amioca, tapioca, wheat, sago and rice. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the starch is corn starch. 9 In step (b), the protein solution produced in step (a) is denatured at a temperature of about 80°C to about 100°C for about 1 minute.
Claim 1 achieved by heating for about 30 minutes
The method described in section. 10 The denaturation of step (b) is accomplished by mixing the protein solution produced in step (a) with an alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol and propanol at room temperature of about 20°C to about 25°C. The method described in Scope 1. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the alcohol is ethanol. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkali metal sulfite in step (c) is sodium bisulfite. 13 The protein mixture in step (d) contains beef, pork,
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the meat seasoning is selected from the group consisting of poultry and seafood. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the protein tissue fibers are formed, shaped and set to form an edible protein product. 15 (a) About 10-60% by weight of egg albumin and about water.
(b) heat treating said solution at a temperature of at least about 80° C. for at least 2 minutes; (c) dry forming a powder from the dried egg albumin-containing material; (d) starch and alkali metal sulfites (a);
(b) or (c) mixing with the egg albumin-containing material, (e) adjusting the moisture level of the egg albumin-containing material to about 20% to about 40% based on the total weight of the material; 2. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps of extruding the albumin/starch/sulfite hydrous material in an extruder at a maximum temperature of at least about 140<0>C to provide a cohesive fiber extrudate.